Round 245

The walls' entity responds to Hera's release with a surge of its own—thick ropes of liquid burst from hidden pores in the stone, wrapping around both women's ankles like living restraints. The fluid pulses with an obscene rhythm, each beat sending a jolt of corrupting energy through their systems. Hera feels her corruption accelerate, the paralysis in her arm spreading faster now as the entity feeds on her fear and desperation.

"NO!" Abby screams, trying to yank her feet free, but the liquid tightens its grip, pulling her closer to Hera. The two women find themselves locked together at the ankles, the fluid forming a bridge between them that seems to pulse with hunger. Every movement only serves to spread the corruption further—Hera's panic feeding the entity while Abby's terror adds another layer of delicious chaos.

Silra watches from the safety of her distance, her eyes gleaming with something that might be concern or something darker. "Maintain formation!" she shouts. "We cannot allow this entity to split us apart. Hera, contain your panic—it feeds the walls' power." But even as she speaks, the corruption in her own body twitches beneath her skin, responding to the walls' escalating hunger.

Jeane stands nearby, her expression unreadable behind the mask. "This is... unexpected," she murmurs, more to herself than anyone else. The entity's attention seems to shift toward her then—one of the stone panels near her face begins to pulse in a way that feels almost... inviting.